Tracker-board for piano-players.



E. T. TURNEY.

TRACKER BOARD FOR FIAND PLAYERS.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 22, |911.

Patented sep@ 26,1916.

DDDDUDUU IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. TURNEY, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN PLAYER ACTION COMIANY, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRACKER-BOARD FOR PIANO-PLAYERS'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

b all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUcnNn T. TURNEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have inventedV a new and useful Tracker-Board for Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in piano players in which a perforated music sheet is caused to pass over a series of apertures connected with the pneumatics for moving the piano action so as to cause the opening and closing of the apertures thereby controlling the pneumatics. The apertures are uniformly arranged side by side in a member usually termed al tracker board, and it is obvious that it is important that the perforations in the music sheet should come squarely over or track with the proper apertures in the tracker board.

Vhile there are already upon the market various devices for adjusting the roll to the tracker board, they are not always effective because of the unequal expansion or contraction of the music sheet, or from some other agency which affects portions of the music roll unequally.

' The objects of my invention are, first, the provision of a tracker board having an auxiliary wind compartment with apertures therein controlled by the music sheet and a pneumatic connected with said auxiliary wind compartment for shifting the relative position of the tracker board and music sheet; second, the provision of a longitudinally movable tracker board which may be easily shifted to secure a proper relation to the music sheet; and, third, the provision of simple means for automatically shifting said tracker board.

The novel features of construction are pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

I secure the above objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure l is a front elevation of my invention partially in section; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the bellows for the pneumatics; and Fig. 3 is a detail of a modified form of tracker bar having an aperture leading to the auxiliary chamber which co-acts with the edge of a music sheet. Fig. t is an enlarged portion of Fig. 1,

Similar reference numerals refer to siniilar portions throughout the several views. The reference numerals l and 2, designate side bars 4of a spool frame in which are ]ournaled, one above the other, a lower driven spool, 3, upon which the music sheet is wound during the playing of the piece, and an upper spool, 4, which originally contains the music sheet, and from which it is wound upon the spool, 3, as the piece is played. Suitable mechanism (not shown and forming no part of my present invention) is provided for driving the spool, 3, and for rewinding thev sheet upon the spool 4 after the piece has been played.

In the side bars, 1 and 2, between thel bearings of the spools, 3 and 4, are provided pairs of bearings, 5, 5, and 6, 6, which aline with each other.' These bearings, I find, may be very satisfactorily made of felt or other similar material.

My tracker board, 7, has provided upon the ends thereof the pairs of rods, 8, which extend respectively into the bearings, 5, 5, and 6, 6. It will be perceived that this arrangement will permit a considerable longitudinal shifting of the tracker board. The tracker board is located so that the sheet passing from the spool 4 to the spool 3 will contact its forward face, and the double end bearings will prevent the tracker board from being twisted bythe action of the sheet.

Thetracker board is provided with the usual set of note apertures, 9, which are connected in the usual manner by means of rubber tubes (not shown) with the piano action pneumatics.. Above the note apertures in the tracker board I provide an auxiliary channel or wind compartment, 10, which runs longitudinally throughout the portion of the tracker board which will be adjacent the music sheet. Above each note aperture I have provided a smaller aperture, 11, extending into theJ auxiliary compartment which is so located as to be partially uncovered when the perforations in the music sheet are properly tracking.

Upon the outer face of the side bar, 1, I provide a pneumatic which is constructed as follows A rectangular casing, 12, hav ing a vacuum chamber, 13, therein is secured to said side bar. In the lower wall of the casing, 12, is a diaphragm chamber, 111,

which is'separated from the vacuum cham? yet ber by a diaphragm, 15. A small duct, 16, establishes a communication between the vacuum and diaphragm chambers, and the opening of this into the duct 1G, is covered by a piece of parchment or other suitable materia-l, 17, in which there is a reduced opening or bleed hole, 18. In the upper wall of the casing, 12, is a passageway, 19, leading to the atmosphere. The passageway, 19, is provided with annular valve seats, 2O and 21, near its bottom and top, and valves, 22 and 23, which seat respectively upon the valve seats, 2O and 21, are mounted upon a valve stem, 241, which extends downwardly into contact with the diaphragm, 15. A bellows, 25, is secured to the outer wall of the casing, 12, and a lateral passage, 26, connects the said bellows with the passageway, 19, at a point between theA valve seats, 20 and 21. A flexible tubing, 2G, leads from the diaphragm chamber, 14:, to the auxiliary channel or wind chest, 10, in the tracker board, 7, and other suitable piping, 27, connects the wind chest, 13, with:

mechanism for establishing a vacuum (not shown).

The upper one of the rods, 8, is extended through the side bar, 1, and beyond the movable member of the bellows, 25. A collar, 28, is secured upon this rod, 8, by means of a set screw, 29, and a coiled spring, 30, is provided about said rod between its bearing, 5, and the collar, 2S, to hold the said rod and the tracker board yieldingly as far to the left as possible. An arm, 31 extends laterally from the movable member of the bellows, 25, and in the arm, 31, is a slot, 32, through which extends the extended rod, 8. The outer end of the rod, 8, is threaded, and upon the threaded portion is screwed a nut, 33. I have provided a felt washer, 34E, between the nut, 33, andthe arm, 31.

It will now be seen that when the air is exhausted from the bellows, 25, the rod, 8, and the tracker board, 7, will be pressed to the right through the action of the arm, 31, upon the nut 33 against the action of the spring, 30. Each regulating aperture slightly overlaps the right hand edge of its note aperture, as shown by the dotted line 9a in Fig. 4. Vhen a note properly approaches a note aperture it will uncover a part of the small aperture, 11, just above the particular note aperture.

The passage of air through the tracking apertures 11, whenV their' aggregate open area is greaterv than that of the bleed hole 18 will cause an increased pressurein the diaphragm chamber 14. IVhen the aggregate area of the openings through the apertures 11 is less than that of the bleed hole 18 there will be a reduction of the pressure or volume of air in the diaphragm chamber 141. The air is constantly passing to the diaphragm chamber let and thence through the bleed hole into the vacuum chamber 13 so that this chamber is a pneumatic with a port of fixed open area communicating with the suction chamber, so that there is a continuous flow of air through such pneumatic and port in all positions or' such pneumatic (that is whether the diaphragm 15 is raised or lowered) when the sheet is tracking normally; and the main pneumatic 25 and spring 30, by their influence on the position of the tracker bar, cause a variation in pressure of air flowing through the continuous pneumatic or vacuum chamber 14. An increased pressure in the chamber 1st tends to cause the lifting oit' the valve and the collapsing of the main pneumatic 25 and a movement of the tracker bar to the right, reducing the area of the openings through the apertures 11. Then the aggregate open area through such apertures becomes less than that of the bleed. hole 18 suction in the diaphragm chamber is increased and the valve `is lowered to admit air into the main pneumatic 25, whereupon the spring 30 acts to -shift the tracker bar to the left so as to increase the open area through the apertures 311. This results in constantly maintaining flthe tracker in substantially exact relation to the apertures in the music sheet and holding it balanced between the action of the spring in one direction and of the main pneumatic 25 (under control of the diaphragm chamber) in the other direction. The control of the apparatus by a continuous flow of air is not claimed broadly in the present application being covered by a co-pending application, Serial No. (395,511, filed May C, 1912.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated a modification ol my tracker board in which I have provided an aperture 11a to co-act with the edges of the music sheet instead of the apertures 11, to co-act with the edges of the note perforations therein.

Having' thus described my invention what I claim as new; and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;-`

1. In a piano player, a tracker board having an auxiliary wind compartment therein and having a plurality of apertures into said auxiliary compartment which are each only partially uncovered by the note apertures in the normal position ot' the music sheet, yielding means tending always to cause relative movement in one direction between the music sheet and the tracker board, and means for causing such relative movement in the opposite direction connected with and control-led by the pressure in said auxiliary compartment.

2. In a piano player a tracker board having note apertures therein adapted to coact with the note apertures in the music sheet, an auxiliary windcompartment running longitudinally thereof and tracking-control apertures opening therefrom and each adapted to be partially uncovered by the note apertures of the sheet in the normal position of the latter, yielding means tending always to cause relative movement in one direction between the music sheet and the tracker board and means for causing such relative movement in the opposite direction connected with and controlled by the pressure in said auxiliary compartment.

3. In a piano player a tracker board having no-te apertures therein adapted to coact with the note apertures in the music sheet, an auxiliary wind compartment in the tracker board and running longitudinally thereof and a tracking-control aperture from said compartment adapted to be partially uncovered by the sheet in the normal position of the latter, yielding means tending always to cause relative movement in one direction between the music sheet and the tracker board and means for causing such relative movement in the opposite direction connected with and controlled by the pressure in said auxiliary compartment.

4. In a piano player, a longitudinally moving tracker board, a continuously acting spring engaging a part thereof and pressing the same yieldingly in one direction, a pneumatic device also engaging a.

part of said tracker -board and adapted when collapsed to cause a movement thereof in the opposite direction, a vacuum chamber, a valve between said vacuum chamber and said pneumatic, said tracker board having a tracker control aperture adapted to be partially uncovered in the normal position of the sheet and the opening and closing of which controls the movement of said valve.

5. In a piano player, a member having an aperture therein adapted to be opened or closed by the music sheet and which is partially open in the normal position of the sheet, a pneumatic, a lvacuum chamber, a valve between said pneumatic and said chamber, said valve being operated upon an increased opening of said aperture to cause an opening movement of said valve and a closing movement of said aperture, and continuously acting yielding means tending alv VYays to cause the opening of said aperture.

6. In a piano player, a longitudinally movable tracker board, an auxiliary aperture therein which is partially open in the normal position of the sheet relatively to the tracker board, a continuously acting spring for moving said board in one direction, a pneumatic, a vacuum chamber, a valve between said pneumatic and said chamber, said .val-ve being controlled by an increased opening of said auxiliary aperture for causing said pneumatic to move said board in the other direction.

7. In a piano player, a tracker board disposed transversely of the music sheet, and having an aperture which is partially open in the normal position of the sheet, continuously acting means for changing the relation of said sheet to said aperture in one direction, a pneumatic, a vacuum chamber, a valve between said pneumatic and said chamber, said valve being controlled by the relation of said sheet to said aperture for causing said pneumatic to change said relation in the other direction.

8. A tracker mechanism for piano players, comprising a tracker board having note apertures therein and over which travels a music sheet having note perforations therein and having a tracking aperture which is partially open in the normal position of the sheet, continuously acting yielding means for changing the horizontal relation of said note apertures and tracking aperture in one direction, a pneumatic, a vacuum chamber, a valve between said pneumatic and said chamber, said valve being controlled by the relation of said note apertures to said tracking aperture for causing the pneumatic to change the relation in theopposite direction.

9. A tracker mechanism for piano players, including a tracker board having a line of note controlling apertures and a line of tracking-control apertures each adapted to be partially opened by the note apertures i-n the music sheet in the normal position of the latter, a common trunk communicating with said tracking-control apertures and pneumatic mechanism communicating with said trunk and adapted to cause a relative movement between said tracker board and the music sheet.

10. A tracker mechanism for piano players including a tracker board having a line of note-controlling apertures adapted to register with the note perfor-ations in the music sheet, said board having also a line of tracking-control apertures each adapted to be partially opened by the note apertures in the music sheet in the normal position of the latter, means for causing a relative movement between said board and said sheet in a directon to open said tracking-control apertures through the note perforations of the sheet and automatic mechanism actuated by the opening of said tracking-control apertures 'for causing a relative movement in the opposite direction.

11. The combination with a tracker bar containing apertures for effecting sound production and apertures for eecting adjustment, of a music sheet containing perforations, means for carrying said sheet over said tracker, and means operated by the coaction of said perforations with said apertures second named to 4maintain the registration with said perforations of said apertures first named, said second named apertures being partially uncovered by said music sheet when said perforations are in CII correct registration with said iirst named apertures.

12. The combination ofa music sheet containing perforations, with a tracker mechanism containing a set of apertures coacting with said perforations to effect the production of-musical sounds, and pneumatic mechanism for maintaining registration between said perioi'ations and apertures, said pneumatic mechanism comprising a duct having an aperture controlled by said sheet and adapted to register with periorations aforesaid, a pneumatic having a duct connected therewith, a suction duct coimnunicating with said duct first named by a bleed aperture, and automatically operated Valve mechanism for connecting said second duct with the atmosphere and with said suction duct.

13. The combination of a music sheet containing perforations, with a tracker mechanism containing a set of apertures coacting with said perforations to effect the production of musical sounds, and mechanism com prising a set of apertures adapted to communicate with perforations aforesaid for automatically maintaining registration between said perfor-ations and apertures, said mechanism comprising a rod and means for a dj usting' the effective length of said rod.

14. A tracker bar for playing attachments for musical instruments making use `of a perforated music sheet, said tracker bar being provided with the usual ducts for register with the note slots in a music sheet passed over the tracker and also having additional openings within the paths of the note slots across the tracker when such note slots are in proper register with the tracker ducts, one edge of each of said additional openings being adjacent to one edge of one of the usual ducts and said additional openings being in alincment lengthwise of the tracker, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE T. TURNEY. Titnesses T. A. MURPHY, A. G. SAMPsoN.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents cach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

